STATE OF THE STRIPES: The Yankees have won four straight, five of six, 21 of 27 and 32 of 43 since the All-Star break. They lead the AL East by 6.5 games and lead the Angels by 4.5 games for the best record in the AL.

STATE OF THE ORIOLES: Pretty grim.

BALTIMORE BLAST: The Yankees are 10-3 against the Orioles this season and have won eight straight.

BURNETT ON THE SKIDS: A.J. Burnett is 0-4 with a 6.03 ERA in his last six starts. He was 5-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his six starts prior to that. Burnett is 9-1, 4.61 against Baltimore for his career.

FOR THE BIRDS: Robinson Cano is 22 of 48 with five homers and 15 RBI against Baltimore this season.

MO MILESTONES: Mariano Rivera is five strikeouts away from 1,000 and one game away from tying Cy Young for the 20th most appearances all-time.

A-ROD CLOSES IN: Alex Rodriguez needs two hits for 2,500 in his career.

THEY’RE HOT: Johnny Damon has a seven-game hit streak. … Melky is 6 of his last 15 … Damaso Marte has not allowed a hit in 2.1 innings since he returned. … Cano has 11 RBi and seven extra-base hits in his last eight games.

THEY’RE NOT: Brian Bruney has put 14 runners on base in his last 8.2 innings. … Phil Coke has a 10.64 ERA in his last 14 outings.

ON THE iPOD RIGHT NOW: Are You Gonna Be My Girl? by Jet.

Back with more later including the call-ups. It’s the return of Francisco.

UPDATE, 5:41 p.m.: Jonathan Albaladejo was supposed to be called up but got hit in the eye with a ball yesterday. He’s day to day and he’ll be with the team within a few days. … They’ll consider other additions once the IL playoffs are over. … Jeter was nominated by the team for the Roberto Clemente Award for his community service.

Best news of the day comes from Colorado. The Big G is back in the majors!

UPDATE, 6:27 p.m.: A reader named Max just came up to the front of the press box and asked for a shout-out on the blog. So … Hey, Max. Thanks for reading. Don’t get arrested.

UPDATE, 7:01 p.m.: This from the AP:

ESPN and Major League Baseball have agreed to switch the starting time of a Yankees-Red Sox game to avoid conflicting with Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

ESPN told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the Sept. 27 game was returning to its original start time of 1 p.m. EDT. It had been changed to 8 p.m. to accommodate ESPN’s schedule; Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and atonement, begins at sundown that evening.

“I am pleased we were able to resolve this sensitive issue that impacted many baseball fans and are able to move the game at Yankee Stadium to 1 p.m.,” Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement, crediting ESPN for helping to “solve this conflict.” ESPN will still televise the game.

Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., had sent a letter to Selig and ESPN President George Bodenheimer urging the game be returned to its original afternoon start time.

“There’s no reason why the largest Jewish community in the country should be punished for a last-minute scheduling swap,” Weiner wrote in the letter.

Weiner told the AP that he had spoken with Selig earlier in the day. “He said he agreed, and that he had heard from his own rabbi, that this was a problem,” Weiner said. “He said he was riding ESPN to change their position.”

UPDATE, 7:06 p.m.: We are underway at 7:05 p.m. Perfect night for baseball. Enjoy the game.

UPDATE, 7:13 p.m.: Big start for A.J. Burnett tonight as he looks to get himself in gear for the playoffs. Be interesting to watch. He likes pitching here, so we shall see.

UPDATE, 7:24 p.m.: A.J. gives up a dinger to a guy named Pie. That makes sense I guess.

UPDATE, 8:10 p.m.: The Bad A.J. is back. Two walks and a double. He has become troublingly unreliable in recent weeks.

UPDATE, 8:15 p.m.: Yankees back to work on Hernandez.

UPDATE, 8:40 p.m.: Boy, that Jorge Posada is killing A.J. Burnett. All he has done is hit two home runs, score three runs and drive in three.

UPDATE, 8:55 p.m.: Yankees go up 2-1, A.J. loses the lead. Yankees go up 5-3, A.J. loses the lead. What’s the postseason mantra at this point? CC and Pettitte and then forget it?

UPDATE, 9:09 p.m.: Yankees are in business against the Baltimore bullpen. If they take the lead back, does Girardi dare send Burnett back out there?

UPDATE, 9:19 p.m.: Posada with another RBI opportunity.

UPDATE, 9:20 p.m.: Tied up with three innings against the Baltimore bullpen? I like their chances — if they can hold Baltimore at six and that’s questionable with Burnett still out there. He has allowed 10 hits and walked two.

UPDATE, 9:27 p.m.: How did Tex not catch that?

UPDATE, 9:36 p.m.: Cano 25 of 51 against the Orioles this season.

UPDATE, 9:37 p.m.: You know what that is? It’s Swishalicious.

UPDATE, 9:37 p.m.: Hinske with your best shot. The LoHud Yankees Blog delivers again. The Yankees better hope the Orioles never get rid of Chris Ray.

That’s five jacks for the Yankees and just like that, they lead 9-6.

UPDATE, 9:41 p.m.: Swish has 23 homers and 72 RBI with a month left to play. And they got him for Wilson Betemit. Think Brian Cashman would do that again? Holy smoke.

UPDATE, 9:56 p.m.: Swisher has four homers here and three in the Bronx. How crazy is that? Meanwhile, Damaso Marte is now officially more trustworthy than Phil Coke.

UPDATE, 10:36 p.m.: Mo for the save. This appearance ties him with Cy Young for 20th in history with 906.